Island



(No Model.)

T. EARLE. Oil Can.

No. 230,760. Patented Aug. 3,1880.

UNITED STATES TIMOTHY EARLE, OF VALLEY FALLS, RHODE ISLAND.

OIL-CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,760, dated August3, 1880. Application filed May 12, 1880. (N0 model.)

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY EARLE, of Valley Falls, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Oil-Cans; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This improvement has reference to an improvement in cans for oilingmachinery, and

for other purposes; and it consists in the peculiar construction of anair-vent in the bottom of the can, as will be more fully set forthhereinafter.

Figure l is a view of my improved oil-can, partly in section, so as toshow the springpressed air-vent and the construotionof the bottom moreclearly. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the bottom of the can and amodification of the airwent. Fig. 3 is also a sectional view of amodification of the air-vent and the bottom of the can; and Fig. 4.represents another modification.

The object of this invention is to secure an air-vent to .the bottom ofan oil-can, so that by the pressure of a finger the vent may be quicklyopened and any desired quantity of oil discharged.

In the drawings, A is the oiling-can. a represents the bottom of anoil-can. This bot tom is struck up or otherwise made of sheet metal, sothat the central portion is raised up or dished. The portion b, formingthe venthole, is still further raised, so that the bearing of the valve0 is a considerable distance above the lowest portion of the bottom.

The object of this construction is, first, to prevent the heavy andgummy portion of the oil, which usually settles to the bottom, fromadhering to the valve; and, second, to secure room for the button orpusher by which the valve is opened.

The valve disk 0, I prefer to make of a piece of fine-grained cork; butany other suitable material may be used. The edge of the portion 11,forming the air-vent, may be provided with a rounded seat, as is shownin Fig.1, with a flat seat, as shown in Fig. 2, with an edge, as isshown in Fig. 3, or with a narrow edge made by stamping, as is shown inFig. 4.

d is the valve-stem, to which the disk 0 is secured. It may be a solidwire or a hollow wire. The stem is provided with a pusher, e,

and the valve is held to its seat by means of a spring or springs, f ff, so that the valvedisk will return to the seat as soon as the pusheris released, and will keep the air-vent tightin whatever position thecan may beheld until it is raised from its seat by pressure against thepusher e.

The spring may be placed in various positions. Fig. 1 shows the coiledspring within the can resting against the stirrup g, which forms a guidefor the valve-stem d. In Fig. 2 the spring rests against the valve seatand the pusher e, the stirrup g forming a guide for the valve-stem.

In Fig. 3 the stirrup g is formed into a spring, f, and the inner end ofthe valve-stem is secured thereto, the outer end of the valve-stem beingsecured to the spring and in Fig. 4 the valve-stem is secured to thespring f'", a central hole in the bottom forming a guide for the stem,and one or more holes, as shown, forming the air-vents.

Either of these methods may be used and operated alike to admit air tothe bottom of the can, which bottom forms the air-space when the can isused for oiling.

The spring or springs must be of sufficient strength to close the valvetight and hold it so no matter how it is used, so as to prevent oil fromleaking out at the bottom.

This can iorms a convenient device for oiling machinery, as the openingof the air-vent will allow the oil to flow freely. It can be moreconveniently handled than cans provided with projecting devices to admitair or to operate air-vents. lt is not liable to get out of order, asthe parts are protected by being placed in the recess formed by theraised bottom. It is simple and cheap in construction and convenient inuse, as the thumb can readily press the pusher, while the same handholds the can.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination, with an oil-can, of the raisedbottom a and raised valveseat b, the spring-pressed valve-disk c, andpusher c, eon structed to open andclose the air-vent, as described.

TIMOTHY EARLE.

Witnesses JOSEPH A. MILLER, J.-A. MILLER, Jr.

